Johannesburg - The corruption saga involving Pikitup boss Amanda Nair took a dramatic twist on Wednesday when she was arrested for alleged theft of the company’s official cellphones, which were irregularly issued to her and her children.
The police pounced on Nair while she was conducting a road show at Pikitup’s Southdale depot on Wednesday morning.
“Police arrived as she was still busy talking to the workers. Other officials pleaded with the police to wait until she had finished the show,” said a Pikitup employee who was there.
“But when she was about to finish, a police officer came and stood next to her,” the employee said.
She was arrested along with Donovan Denyssen, who was working in the IT department when he allegedly gave the cellphones to Nair and a close relative without following the proper procedures.
Nair was taken to Hillbrow police station together with Denyssen. Sources told The Star they were detained there. This was confirmed by Hillbrow police spokesman Warrant Officer Richard Munyai, who was noncommittal when asked about the reasons for the arrests.
“I can confirm that they are in our police holding cells at Hillbrow,” Munyai said.
Pikitup board chairwoman Trish Hanekom said: “We are aware of the arrest of the Pikitup managing director and another official.
“The facts around the case are a subject of an internal investigation. The alleged theft of cellphones is a matter the board has not referred to the police. We are, consequently, unaware of the basis of this arrest.”
Nair spent several hours in the holding cells and was released on bail on Wednesday night.
The Star understands Pikitup arranged a lawyer for Nair.
“There was drama, people were running around at Pikitup’s head office in Braamfontein trying to get a solution to get her released as soon as possible,” said a Pikitup source.
The Star has been reliably informed that Pikitup secretary Francois Dekker had instructed the entity’s head of security to write an affidavit stating that they had decided to withdraw the charges against Nair.
Dekker denied this.
A senior official at Pikitup, who is privy to the developments, said it was time that Nair was brought to book.
“Amanda must do the honourable thing and resign. Who is still going to respect her after her stint in the police holding cells for cellphone theft?” the official asked.
Last year, Denyssen resigned before he was fired, but was later found guilty in absentia for irregularly issuing the phones to Nair.
Last month, however, Nair rehired Denyssen at an annual salary of R1.4 million, despite him being dismissed for misconduct, according to Pikitup records.
Last year, the City of Joburg’s risk management department conducted an investigation and found that several cellphones had gone missing from the safe room and that Denyssen was the only person who had the keys.
Denyssen told investigators he had “issued” Nair with three Samsung phones.
“The cellphones were intended to be used by Nair household members,” he said.
The report also states that as a result of Denyssen’s action, Pikitup incurred a loss of R33 237 and that Nair should pay it back.
It recommended that a case of theft and disciplinary action be taken against Denyssen, but he jumped ship before disciplinary proceedings were instituted against him.
According to the report, a few months after she received the three cellphones, Nair requested a fourth phone and a tablet.
These she got.
She then allegedly gave them as birthday presents to the son of the City of Joburg mayoral committee member responsible for environment and infrastructure services, Matshidiso Mfikoe.
Mfikoe has denied receiving the items, but insiders claim she sold them.
The DA will be asking for full disclosure on this matter in the council and is unlikely to drop the issue until the appropriate corrective action has been taken.
Anthony Still, the DA spokesman on Pikitup, said: “Amanda is not above the law despite being the Pikitup MD
.”
The Star